Reality TV show Fighting Fit Dubai offers contestants a shot at a healthier life

Fighting Fit Dubai starts an eight-week run on OSN Sports 4. The reality show, which debuted last year as White Collar Dubai, has been rebranded, with the new concept going beyond just preparing the contestants for one fight night.

Yussef Hawatt, right, one of the contestants on Nomad Productions’s new reality-TV show Fighting Fit Dubai, trains at the Warehouse Gym in Dubai. Satish Kumar / The National

Tension, sweat, extreme training and ringside action – that's what viewers have to look forward to when reality-TV show Fighting Fit Dubai starts an eight-week run on Wednesday, October 26, on OSN Sports 4.

But behind the scenes, the contestants, 30 white-collar professionals, are undergoing deeper transformations that will help them lead ­healthier lives.

The reality show, which ­debuted last year as White Collar DXB, has been rebranded after producers expanded the concept to go beyond just preparing the contestants for a fight night at the Emirates Golf Club.

This year, not only will a mix of bankers, lawyers, journalists and managers be taught how to throw a punch by veteran ­boxing coaches, they will also be given help and support to alter limiting psychological behaviour, clean up their diet and implement an effective training routine.

“Season two is driving towards a more holistic viewpoint,” says Phil Griffiths, co-­founder of Nomad Productions, the ­creators of the show.

“We have four main themes – boxing, nutrition, strength, conditioning and recovery, and psychology. The fight is always secondary and that never ­interested me, but it’s what all these people get out of it. Through the show, they discover what their limits are and find ways to push through. What they think they are capable of and what they are actually ­capable of are very different.”

The creators received hundreds of entries, which were whittled down to 50 men and women representing the wide range of people in the UAE. The contenders were put through preliminary physical-fitness rounds to narrow it down to the 30 who made the final cut.

They were then split into two main teams of eight, with the rest being placed into reserves.

The contestants will go through eight weeks of training, leading up to four boxing matches and the grand finale.

Each 45-minute episode will follow the journey of the participants as they make lifestyle changes, commit to their boxing training and battle to keep their place on one of the teams, or move out of the reserves.

They will take part in sparring drills, and be taken through team challenges by seven-time Guinness World-Record holder and CrossFit coach Eva Clarke, and Dubai-based strength coach Chris Miller. The contenders will also be put through the paces in freezing temperatures for three hours in Ski ­Dubai, and advised on healthy eating by nutrition coach Victoria Tipper.

Contestant Yussef Hawatt, the regional manager for the Airways Aviation training institute in Dubai, says his two children are his ­inspiration for taking part in the show.

The 30-year-old Australian says he has already dropped a few ­kilograms since production started.

“I have two active kids and I didn’t have the energy to keep up with them,” says Hawatt. “That was my motivation. I don’t want them growing up without me being involved in their sports and activities.

“Since joining the show, I’ve seen such an improvement in my stamina.”

Clarke, who sets the fitness programme for Fighting Fit Dubai, says the main aim is for contestants to use their experience on the show as a starting point for a healthier lifestyle. But the coach, who is based in Abu Dhabi, adds that it is also about learning a few other life skills.

“It’s not just about a physical transformation but a change in attitude,” she says. “We are ­trying to [teach] them about time management, commitment, leadership and teamwork. And all this can be carried into their lives after the fight, as well.”

Still, this is reality TV – so presumably we can expect a healthy dose of competition on the show. While Griffiths says he wants Fighting Fit Dubai to have "teeth", he adds that it avoids generating any unnecessary conflict.

“We genuinely want people to have a good experience and see changes in themselves, which makes for more compelling viewing,” he says.

• Fighting Fit Dubai begins on Wednesday, October 26 on OSN Sports 4 at 8pm